With their attendance rising for a third straight season and averaging a club-best 5,399 fans since the 2007-08 campaign, it was great exposure for players such as Richard Panik, Ondrej Palat, Radko Gudas and other prospects who look to make it to the big club next year.

Clinching the Eastern Conference’s East Division title and competing in the Calder Cup Finals, also added an extra dose of confidence with a team that has big expectations in the near future.

Other teams that represented Syracuse on the list included: the International League’s Syracuse Chiefs and the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Syracuse Silver Knights.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN #LIGHTNINGSTRIKES

This month @TBLightning asked fans to share their photos of lightning bolts in everyday objects for a chance to win tickets to the 2013-14 home opener on October 10.

BREAKOUT SEASON AHEAD FOR BISHOP?

NHL.com posted an article Thursday, looking at seven candidates they think may be in line for a breakout season in 2013-14. One name from the Lightning’s roster to make the list was netminder Ben Bishop.

According to the article, with Bishop lost in the mix in St. Louis and stuck behind Craig Anderson in Ottawa, he hasn’t had a team to call his own.

While Bishop’s 3-4-1 record and 2.99 goals-against average weren’t spectacular, his 9.17 save percentage and 33.6 shots-faced per game show he wasn’t getting a lot of support from the backend, the article continued.

The Denver, Colorado native will be competing with fellow goaltender Anders Lindback for playing time, but I’d consider putting a watchful eye on Bishop in the early months of the season.

STAMKOS, ST. LOUIS ON THE BUS

It started as an impromptu metaphor when the University of South Florida’s new football coach Willie Taggart said, “What we have to do is put everyone on the bus, put them in the right seat, and let coach T drive the bus.”